Highway railing



R. W. CRANNELL HIGHWAY RAILING April 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.27, 1958 INVENTOR. /Q/CHA /20 W. CRAN/veu.

A TTONEY.

R. W. CRANNELL HIGHWAY RAILING April 3, 1962 2'sheets-sheet 2 Filed Feb.2'?, 1958 INVENTOR A TTO/VEX /Q/cf/p W C/QA NA/ELL United States PatentOffice 3,028,148 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 3,028,148 HIGHWAY RAILING RichardW. Crannell, Easton, Pa., assignor to Lehigh Inc., Easton, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 718,093 11Claims. (Cl. 256-13.1)

transverse obstructions which could engage an object sliding along suchsurfaces.

Another object is to provide railing including simple and effectivemeans for positioning and holding such rails.

Still another object is to provide suitable supporting and mountingposts for such rails and for carrying the holding means therefor.

A further object is to provide for the effective mounting of rails onposts without any obtrusive fastening means.

A more specific object is to provide such rails capable of beingexpanded to lock them in place in a receiving groove in a mounting postin combination with means receivable by the post for effecting such anexpansion.

Further and more detailed objects of the invention will in part beobvious and in part be pointed out as the description of theinvention,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a railing installation in accordance withthe invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation partly broken away of fragments of rail inaccordance with the invention showing the manner of joining themtogether.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and looking inthe direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of an intermediate post inaccordance with the invention showing fragments of two rails mountedthereon.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the post and rail fragments of FIG. 5 witha portion of the post broken away and shown in section to-illustrate theholding means for the rails.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional perspective view of a partof a post including the receiving channel for a rail with a portion of arail therein and held in place Y by the holding means of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a View similar to FIG. 6 showing the presently preferred formof holding means.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the preferred holding means per se; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view thereof.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.668,134, filed lune 26, 1957, for Highway Railing, now abandoned.

The railing of the invention can generally be considered to be made upof rail sections, end posts and intermediate posts for supporting suchrail sections. The rail sections are normally furnished with channelsections welded in one end of each in order to enable the joining of thesections together to make up the desired length of rail.

In the accompanying drawing, a railing installation in accordance withthe invention is shown as being mounted on a continuous concretefooting, such as wouldv normally be found on the parapet wall of ahighway bridge. This showing, however, is merely for illustrativepurposes, since the railing of the invention is applicable to anyposition on a highway where railing is desi-red.

The railing as shown in the accompanying drawing also includes a pair ofparallel horizontal rails. This showing is likewise for illustrative andnot limiting purposes, since the rail and provision for mounting thesame could be single, be double, as shown in the accompanying drawing,or be further multiplied if desired.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the railing shown is made up ofhorizontal rails, generally indicated at 1, and 2, end posts 3 and 4,and intermediate posts 5 and 6. Splice joints between rail sections areillustrated by the lines 7, 8 and 9.

The end posts 3 and 4 would normally be identical, save that they arereversed from right to left hand and they would normally be formed withsuitable receiving sockets 10 and L1 for the reception of the ends ofthe rails 1 and 2. This can be simply done in a number of ways. It formsno particular feature of the instant invention so that there is nonecessity of detailing it any further. It need merely be appreciatedthat these end posts are sufficiently rugged and suitably formed andmounted to withstand traffic shocks and hold the end of the railssecurely in place. Another feature to be appreciated is that, dependingon the direction in which the railing is being laid, the end post at thecommencement end will first be located and the beginning ends of therails will be seated therein. Then as the desired end of the railing isreached, the end post at the opposite end will be positioned with theprojecting ends of the rail members seated in its sockets as thefinishing step.

Considering now the construction of the rail itself, the rails 1 and 2are generally identical, other than the position of their splice jointsand any additional rails employed in a railing installation would besimilarly identical so that the description of the rail 1 about to begiven is applicable to all of them. i

Referring then to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the rail 1 isrolled out of sheet metal with steel being presently preferred. The railis of box type in cross section having a front i12, sides-13 and 14 anda rear portion made up of flanges 15 and 16 terminating in spaced edgefaces 17 and 18 to leave an open slot 19 all the way along the length ofthe roll. Such rail members can be readily rolled from sheet steel insubstantial lengths, such as 12. and 16 feet.

Each length of rail is preferably provided with a short channel sectionseating within it at one end thereof and welded thereto in order toenable the formation of a splice joint. This channel section, as shownin FIGS. 3 and 4, is secured partly in one of the rail sections and hasanother part extending outwardly for reception in the end of the nextrail section. The channel section has sides 20 and 21 lying within andagainst the sides 13 and 14 of the rail and an end 22 lying within andalong the front i12 thereof. It is welded at 23 to the end of the onerail section, or is otherwise suitably secured thereto. Thus the nextrail section can be slid over the protruding end and, save for any weldmaterial present, can be abutted against the end of the one railsection. Though a small gap is shown at the joint 7 in FIG. 3, its widthis exaggerated here for the purpose of showing the weld. The essentialthing is that there is nothing protruding out beyond the face surface 24of the front 12 of the rail in a manner to catch anything sliding alongit to interrupt the sliding action, possibly turning it int-o a spinningone.

It is further to be noted that the slot 19 is substan` tially continuousfrom one rail section to the next one joined thereto. The rear portionof the rail is capable of being spread by a suitable member introducedinto the slot 9, whether that member be positioned along the rail alone,or where adjacentv rail sections are brought together with a channelsection therein for the making of a joint.

An intermediate post for-supporting and retaining the rails and themanner in which it does so is best shown in FGS. 5 and 6. Two identicalintermediate posts 5 and 6 are shown in FIGS. il and 2, but it is, ofcourse, to be understood that a suitable number of them suitably spacedwould be employed, depending on total length of the railing needed. Allthese posts being identical, only one of them need be described indetail. For this purpose,post 5, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, has beenselected.

The intermediate posts are maleable iron cmtings having a center web '25with base members 26 extending out from. either side of the bottomthereof. These base members receive suitable hold down bolts 27 so thatthe posts can be suitably bolted down onto `a concrete'footing, a steelbridge member, or such other suitable base as is provided. The web 25 issuitably bordered by a laterally extending .iiange 28 which isinterrupted at the positions where the rails are secured tothe posts.These positions for the two rail construction here illustrated arevertically spaced at.29 and'30.

Again, save for their locations on the post, the rail retainingconstructionsare identical. Thus only the upper one, 30, as shown inFIG. 6, and in enlarged `detail in FIG. 7,.needs to be described.

in the first place, a pocket is formed into the post from theoutwardlyfacingside thereof. This pocket preferably extends as a transverse slothaving the width of the flange 28 and having bottom and top sides 31 and3-2 extending well into the post. The base of the slot is largely openbetween inwardly extending shoulders 33 and 34, and the depth of theslot from its outer end 3S tothe shoulders 33 and-34 yis sufficiently.less .than the length ofthe sides 13 and'14 of the rail, 1, to enablethat railrto extend-well out ofathe slot Vso that its front 12 withengaging face-24is positioned wel-l out from the post.

A chamber 36 extends rearwardly from the shoulders 33 and 34 to arestricted bore 37 in back of which an enlargedopening 38 extends to andopens outwardly at the back-of the post.

This receiving and retaining provision incorporated in thepost as justdescribed serves for the mounting of part ofthe securing'means forsecuringvthe rail in place in the pocket provided therefor. Theprincipal part of the securing means is an elongated wedge member 4t)joined at its smaller end 41' by a web 41a to a threaded socket member'42. This wedge member is so formed and di mensioned that the smaller end-il thereof as well as the web 41a can be slidably seated in the slot 19in the rail from one end thereof. The wedge member can thus be slidalong that slot until it reaches the position of the supporting post towhich the rail is to be secured. The rail is then seated in the pocket39 in the post with the socket member 42; positioned in the chamber 36in back of that pocket. This having been done, a suitable bolt 43 isinserted through the bore 37 with its threaded end engaged with thethreads in the member 42. This vbolt, preferably of the Allen head type,is then tightened up by the application of the appropriate wrenchthrough the opening 38 into Vthe socket in the bolt head. Inasmuch aseither the head of the bolt 43 or a suitable washer 44 carried by thebolt will come into engagement with the' shoulder 45y at the outer endof the bore 37 tightening of the bolt 43 will pull the socket member 42to the right as viewed in FIG. `6. This will cause the wedge member 40to be pulled to the right as viewed in FlG. 6'. Since the wedge member40 is seated in the slot 19` but widens out into an end substantiallywider than the slot 19, the following action will transpire.

First the wedge will pull the rail Il all the way into itspocket 30.This will be followed by the spreading of the rearxportionofthe railsection so that .the rear parts of the sides 13 and lidi will tightlyengage the inner surfaces of the pockets sides 31 and 32 and hold therail tightly in place in the pocket.

ln the preferred form of post and holding means shown in FGS. 8-10, thepost 5G is generally the same as the post S previously described. Thepost SiiI is pro-vided with a rail receiving pocket generally indicatedat 51 and, like the pockets of FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, extends as atransverse slot across the width of the post flange. The pocket Sl hasan upper wall member 52, a lower wall member 53 and a base member 54which provides a base surface 55 interrupted by the opening S6.

The pocket wall member 52 provides an upper surface 57 for the pocketwhile the wall member 53 provides va lower surface 58 therefor. It is tobe noted that these surfaces 57 and 53 diverge slightly vin .theiroutward extent. The spacing of the respective side walls 13` and 14 ofthe box like rail member lifrom the walls'57 and 58' at the inner end ofthose Wallsis small but increases as the=walls 57v and 58 diverge.This'facilitates assembly of the rails with the supporting posts andalso enhances the self adjustment of one Iwith respect to the other.

yThe securing member for holding therrail in place in the postpoekethere is somewhat simplified over the form of FIGS. '6 and 7. A vsimple.bolt like' member having a cylindrical shank 60 is threaded .at-itsinner end 61 for the reception of a nut 62 and washer 63. At itsouter end the shank 60 of the bolt member is reduced down to adiametrical web portion 64 of rectangular cross section which extendsout fora shortdistance and then ares outwardly intora Wedge portion 65whose smaller end 66 joinsupA with the web port-ion 64.

The shank 60 fof the securing member is received in the opening, or bore56, with the wedge portion seated in the slot 19 of the rail. The rearsurface of the post is provided with anienlarged opening 67 to receivethe nut 62 and washer 63. The washer 63 engages the shoulder68-bordering the opening 56. Thus one merely needs tighten the nut 62 topull the wedge 65 to the left as viewed in FIG. 8 so as to draw .therail 1 into the pocket 51 and then spread the side walls 13 and 14 tohold the rail tightly in place in the pocket. In other respects themanipulation of these members is as previously described.

As already indicated, the rail retaining constructions just describedare identical for each and every position where a rail is held to anintermediate post in the forming of the railing. This is truethough theangularity of the mounting of parallel rails may vary from one toanother when the posts are formed to retain a greater number of railsVthanthe two here shown. Obviously, the spreading of the rear of therail by suitable wedging means as here shown provides a strong effectivelocking of the rail to the post. Since each raily is locked to eachintermediate post in such manner, each looking helps to reinforce theother against disruption in the event of a vehicle coming into contactwith the railing.

Though particular wedge and tightening constructions have been shown inthe accompanying drawing and described in the foregoing and though theseare the initially preferred instrumentalities for this purpose, it is ofcourse to be understood that any suitable spreading means could beemployed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.Furthermore, any means employed for holding the rail in the pockets onthe posts and any post formation for supporting the rail must be such asto lie well back of the front yface of the rail so as not to interruptthe smooth contour surface along the rail front and from one section ofthe rail to the next. By presenting this smooth continuous surface, therailing of the invention not only serves to guard against vehiclesrunning ot the road, bridge, overpass, or wherever else the railing isused, but it also saves vehicles colliding with the railing from beingspun back into the highway where they would be likely to collide withother vehicles coming along. Thus the highway railing of the inventionmakes a substantial step forward in safety on the highway, but it doesso -by a simple economical construction which can be quickly erected.

As to the rails themselves, though a rail formation which is box-like incross section with a central siot 19 in its rear portion is the onlyembodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, it is of course to beunderstood that other rail formations could be employed while remainingwithin the spirit and scope of the invention.

It is appreciated that other modilications and variations of theconstruction of the invention as described and illustrated will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art, once the instant embodiment ofthe invention has been disclosed to them. Such changes may well be made,however, and dierent embodiments of the invention could be made withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it being clearly intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In highway railing construction, a rail formed with a front portionpresenting a smooth substantially continuous face surface devoid of anyprotruding fastening means, a supporting post for said rail, saidsupporting post being formed with a transverse slot therein, said railhaving a mounting portion seated in said slot and a portion extendingoutwardly therefrom to provide said smooth surface, and means carried bysaid post extending into said slot and expanding said mounting portioninto engagement with the side walls o-f said slot for holding saidmounting portion in said slot.

2. ln highway railing construction, a rail including a front portionpresenting a smooth continuous face surface devoid of any protrudingfastening means and rearwardly extending mounting portions, a supportingpost for said rail, means formed on said post for receiving saidrearwardly extending mounting portions within said post with said facesurface exposed in front of said post in spaced relation with respectthereto, means carried by said post and engaging said mounting portionsfor holding said mounting portions in place on said post said mountingportions being spaced apart and said holding means includes means tospread said mounting portions to engage the same with said receivingmeans.

3. Highway railing construction according to claim 2 in which saidrearwardly extending mounting portions terminate in inturned opposedanges having spaced opposed end faces and wherein said holding meansincludes a wedge member mounted between said end faces.

4. In highway railing construction, an elongated rai-l formed of sheetmetal and being of hollow box formation in cross sect-ion, one end ofsaid box formation forming the outer side of said rail and presenting asmooth continuous outer face, the opposite end of said formation formingthe inner side of said rail being interrupted in the form of a slotextending throughout the length of the rail, a post Vfor supporting saidrail and formed with a recess therein to closely receive said rail, saidrecess being of less depth than the depth of said rail from said outerside to said inner side of the sides of said box formation and meanscarried by said post and engaging said rail to hold said rail in placein said recess said means including a member extending into said slotand forcing side walls of said box formation outwardly to engage theopposed surfaces of said recess.

5. Highway railing construction as in claim 4 in which said member is inthe form of a wedge and said holding means includes means for movingsaid wedge member transversely of said slot to spread said side walls ofsaid box formation.

6. Highway railing construction as in claim 5 in which said wedge iscarried on one end of a stud extending from the smaller end of saidwedge and the other end of said stud is threaded, said threaded endcarrying a nut and washer for engagement with said post.

7. Highway railing construction as in claim 6 in which said post isformed with passage therein communicating with said recess at one endand said post is formed with an enlarged chamber communicating with saidpassage at the other end thereof, the body of said stud being seated insaid passage and said nut and washer being seated in said enlargedchamber.

8. Highway railing construction as in claim 5 in which the smaller endof said wedge is provided with threaded socket means and a bolt ismounted in said post having the threaded end thereof in engagement withsaid socket means for drawing said wedge into said slot.

9. A post for mounting a highway rail which includes a base portion anda portion extending upwardly therefrom, said upwardly extending portion4being formed with a transverse channel extending thereinto from oneface thereof and said post being formed with a bore extending thereintofrom the opposite face thereof and in alignment with said channel andsaid post being formed with restricted passage means therein of smallerdiameter than said bore connecting the base of said channel with saidbore.

10. In highway railing construction, an elongated rail member formed ofsheet metal and into the form of a hollow box in cross section, the wallof said box at the inner side of said rail being in the form of angepprtions terminating in spaced relation to form an elongated `slotextending throughout the length of the rail, and a securing memberadapted to spread said slotted side of said rail in order to secure thesame in place in a mounting recess formed in a rail mounting member,said securing member including a wedge having its smaller end slidablyreceivable in said slot when the same is in unexpanded condition, a webextending from said smaller end and of no greater width than the widthof the smaller end of said wedge and a cylindrical member having adiameter greater than the width of said unexpanded slot centrallysecured to said web at the side thereof opposite to said wedge, saidcylindrical member having the end thereof opposite said web formed withscrew threads, whereby said securing member can be slid into said railat one end thereof and moved along said slot to the securing positiondesired and said wedge can be drawn into said slot to expand the innerside wall of said box.

11. A post as in claim 9, said channel being inclined upwardly from thebase thereof to said one face and said channel having the side wallsthereof diverging at a small angle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS399,021 Dailey Mar. 5, 1889 2,128,294 Gage Aug. 30, 1938 2,136,415Cornell Nov. 15, 1938 2,176,530 Greulich Oct. 17, 19-39 2,403,330 BentonJuly 2, 1946 2,403,541 Molat July 9, 1946

